Carton for shipping different sizes of fragile articles



y 1963 L. D. VAN ANTWERPEN 3,095,971

CARTON FOR SHIPPING DIFFERENT SIZES OF FRAGILE ARTICLES Filed Aug. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LLOYD D. VAN ANTWERPEN ATTORNEYS July 2, 1963 D. VAN ANTWERPEN CARTON FOR SHIPPING DIFFERENT SIZES OF FRAGILE ARTICLES Filed Aug. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIIIIHII N E P m mw T T N A E v N A V J D VI 0 L L ATTORNEYS ttes This invention appertains to the packaging of fragile articles for safe shipping, and storing, and more particularly to novel means for effectively holding and supporting sheets of glass or the like, and especially, panoramic or curved automobile glass, in a carton against breakage incident to rough handling in transit or stacking of cartons in storage.

The invention consists in an improvement on prior Van Antwerpen patents, such as, Patents 2,776,745; 2,812,855; 2,847,152 and 2,877,942 issued respectively, on January 8, 1957; November 12, 1957; August 12, 1958 and March 17, 1959.

In such patents, means is shown for blocking and resiliently supporting single Windshields or the like, in specially formed shipping cartons.

It is often desirable to ship a plurality of fragile articles, such as curved automobile glass of difierent sizes in a single carton for the sake of economy in shipping costs and space. The efiective shipping of a plurality of like articles of different sizes in a single carton of a certain dimension presents a difficult problem.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is the provision of novel means for elfectively supporting by means of cushioning strips and blocking rolls or the like, different sizes of fragile articles, whereby not only will the articles be protected against blows and jars, but whereby the shifting of the articles relative to one another and relative to the carton will be prevented.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide means for resiliently supporting a plurality of fragile articles in a shipping carton by the use of a novel bottom cushioning strip extending the full width of the carton and embodying a base ply, an intermediate ply having cushioning and supporting peaks, and an outer ply having a plurality of cushioning and holding peaks provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced knockdown or depressible tongues, adapted to be crushed onto supporting positions by the placing of the fragile articles against adjacent tongues, the spaced tongues forming means for eifectively taking care of different shapes of articles, such as curved automobile glass.

A further object of my invention is the prow'sion of novel top supporting cushioning members for the articles cooperating with the bottom strip, the top cushioning members being independently placed in position for each article with novel means for taking care of the difference in space between the top of the carton and the different heights of the articles.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of upper cushioning members, certain of which include strips having inner and outer oppositely extending slotted peaks, the slots of the inner peaks receiving the top edge of the glass and the slots of the outer peaks receiving spacing ribs or strips of different heights for engaging the articles and spacing the same from the top of the carton.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the side edges of the cushioning strips engage one another to space the articles one from the other and to prevent shifting of the articles relative to one another, the outermost cushioning strip engaging one side wall of the carton and the innermost cushioning strip being engaged by a rolled supporting block formed from the inner flap of the carton.

atent 3,%,7 l Patented July 2, 1963 With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view through the carton taken on the line 1-1 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating more particularly the bottom cushioning and sup porting strip, supporting a plurality of fragile articles of different sizes;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the carton take on the line 22 of FIGURES 1 and 4, lookingin the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating the top and bottom cushioning strips;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURES 1 and 4, looking in the direction of the arrows the view showing the novel top supporting strip;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view through the carton taken on the line 4--4 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating the novel top cushioning strips and the folded blocking roll engaging the innermost top cushioning strips, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom cushioning strip.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter C generally indicates a shipping carton for receiving a plurality of diiferent sizes of fragile articles 10, 11 and 12, such as curved automobile glass.

In accordance with my invention, the fragile articles 10, 11 and 12 will be effectively held and supported in the carton C by bottom novel supporting means B and top supporting and cushioning means T.

The carton C can be of substantially the same type and character shown in my mentioned patents and as illustrated, the same includes longitudinally extending spaced parallel side walls 13 and 14; end walls 15 and 16; and top and bottom walls 17 and 18. The top wall 17 is formed by overlapping flaps 19 and 29. The bottom wall 18 is formed by similar operlapping flaps 21 and 22.

As best shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the fragile articles 10, 11 and 12 extend longitudinally of the carton in spaced relation and the bottom cushioning strip B and top cushioning and supporting members T cooperate with one another and with the car-ton to hold the fragile articles 10, 11 and 12 in their desired spaced relation without shifting movement.

The bottom cushioning and supporting means B is in the nature of an elongated strip which extends substantially the full length of the carton, but as shown in FIG- URE 2, it preferably terminates short of the end walls of the carton. This bottom supporting means B extends the full width of the carton and engages the side walls 13 and 14 thereof. Thus, transverse shifting of the bottom supporting member or strip B is prevented. This bottom supporting and cushioning strip B preferably includes an outer straight ply 23, an intermeditae ply 24 and an inner ply 25. These plies are secured together in any preferred manner, such as by the use of an adhesive or metal stitches or staples. The intermediate ply 24 has formed therein at equidistantly spaced points, peaks 26 of a substantially U-shape in cross-section and these peaks extend the full width of the strip. The inner ply 25 has formed therein equidistantly spaced transversely extending peaks 27 of a substantially V-shape in cross-section and these peaks extend the full width of the strip. The peaks 26 are nested within the peaks 27 and the peaks 27 extend a considerable distance beyond the 3' peaks 26. The peaks 27 are provided with a plurality of spaced slits, at least down to the peaks 26, and the slits 28 form therebetween a plurality of independent bendable tongues 29.

With the bottom cushioning and supporting means B placed in the carton on the bottom wall 18 the fragile articles 10, 11 and 12 can be positioned in the carton and as the bottom edges of the articles engage the bottom strip or cushioning member, such edges will break down the tongues 29 and form additional cushioning means for the articles and define seats to engage the opposite sides of the articles, so as to prevent shifting of the articles. Obviously, as the glass curves toward its ends, such curved ends will break down adjacent tongues 29 and thus the bottom strip will conform itself to the curvature of the articles. The provision of the plurality of equidistantly spaced slots 28 is imporatant, in that, it is unnecessary to preform accurate seats for the difierent sizes of glass in the strip. As the size of the fragile articles might vary, diflicul-ty would be encountered in providing proper spacing of the seats for such different sized articles.

With fragile articles placed in the carton and properly seated and supported at their lower edges in the bottom cushioning means B, the upper cushioning and supporting means T can now be placed in engagement with the articles and the carton.

Where three different sizes of articles are being shipped, as shown in the drawings, the upper supporting and cushioning means T includes three independent strips 30, 31 and 32. The strip 30 is utilized with the largest fragile article 10, and this strip includes a straight base ply 33 and an outer ply 34. The ply 34 has formed therein a plurality of equidistantly spaced substantially U or V-shaped peaks 35, which extend transversely of the base ply. The two plies can be secured together by the use of an adhesive or metal stitches or staples.

The peaks 35 are slotted transversely intermediate their ends to form seats 36 for the edge of the glass and the material from the slots can be bent inwardly to form supporting tongues 37. The article is spaced from the side wall 14 of the carton a distance substantially equal to the distance from the slots in the peaks 35 to the side wall 14 and, hence, when the strip 30 is placed in position, the same will engage the side wall 14 and hold the article 10 away from the side wall. When the top flaps 19 and are folded down over the articles the base ply 32 of the strip 30 will be engaged by the innermost flap.

The strips 31 and 32 for the inner articles 11 and 12 are of a special character and different from the strip 30, and these strips 31 and 32 will be of substantially identical construction and of the same size. Hence, each strip 31 and 32 includes an inner backbone or base member 38 and carried by this backbone or base member 38 are inner and outer plies 39 and 40. The inner ply has formed therein a plurality of equidistantly spaced peaks 41 and the outer ply 40 has formed therein a plurality of equidistantly spaced peaks 42. The peaks 41 and 42 are provided respectively, with slots or seats 43 and 44, and the material defined by the slots is folded inwardly toward the backbone or base member 38 to form cushioning tongues 45. With the fragile articles positioned in the carton, the strips 31 and 32 are placed in position with the upper edges of the fragile articles seated in the slots or seats 43 and against the resilient tongues and these strips 31 and 32 have their adjacent edges in abutting relation and the strip 31 abuts the strip 30.

The backbones or base members 38 of the strips can be formed in different manners and actually these strips 31 and 32 are of the same character as the strip 30 except that the strips are folded back on each other to provide inner and outer peaks. Thus a length of strip 30 can be folded transversely intermediate its length back upon itself or, as shown, a strip 30 of double width can be weakened longitudinally throughout its entire length ened line.

With the two last named strips in place on the edges of the fragile articles to be protected, supporting ribs or spacing strips 46 and 47 are inserted within the seats or slots in the outer peaks -42 of the strips 31 and 32. The spacer strips 46 and 47 are of dilferent widths or heights to agree with the distance between the strips 31 and 32 and top wall of the carton, and the upper edges of these strips are engaged by the top wall of the carton when the same is folded in place. Hence, up and down shifting of all of the fragile articles is effectively prevented.

To prevent lateral shifting of the articles in the carton the innermost flap 2% of the top wall 17 is slit transversely at spaced points and the material between the flaps is rolled or bent to form a blocking member 48. After the rolling of the blocking member the same can be held in its folded shape by the use of a suitable adhesive or by metal stitches or staples. The blocking roll 48 intimately engages the inner edge of the cushioning strip 32 and the blocking roll holds all of the cushioning strips 30, 31 and 32 in place and in contact with one another, and the strip 36 in intimate contact with the side wall 14 of the carton. The blocking roll 48 can be formed in the same manner as the block 20 shown in by prior Patent No. 2,847,152.

In view of the fact that the present invention relates more particularly to novel top and bottom cushioning and supporting means B and T, no means is shown for supporting or blocking the curved terminals of the automobile glass.

It is to be understood that blocking means, as shown in my Patent No. 2,847,152 can be used.

Great stress is laid on the novel bottom and top cushioning and supporting means B and T, in that, by the use of this means different sizes and heights of fragile articles can be successfully packed in a carton of a certain pre determined size.

Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. A shipping and storing package for a plurality of different sizes of fragile articles comprising a carton including top and bottom walls, side walls and end walls, a bottom cushioning and supporting member for the fragile articles disposed in said carton against the bottom wall thereof with its side edges engaging the inner faces of the opposite side walls, said member including a base ply and an outer ply having a plurality of transversely extending spaced peaks extending substantially the full width of the member, each of said peaks being provided with a plurality of spaced slits defining therebetween a plurality of bendable tongues, a plurality of fragile articles in. said carton disposed with their lower edges against the said peaks in spaced parallel relation with the lower edges of the fragile articles breaking down adjacent tongues between the slits to form cushioning members and seats for the lower edges of the fragile articles, and independent cushioning strips for the upper edges of the articles including slotted peaks for receiving the upper edges of said articles with the strip for the article of greatest height engaging the inner surface of the top wall of the carton, said other cushioning strips for the other articles also including outer slotted cushioning peaks, and spacer strips of different heights seated in the slots of the peaks of the last named cushioning strips engaging the inner surface of the top Wall of the carton.

2. A shipping and storing package as defined in claim 1, and all of said cushioning strips for the upper edges of said fragile articles having their side edges in abutting relation to hold the fragile articles spaced one from the other.

3. A shipping and storing package as defined in claim 2, and the outermost of said cushioning strips for the fragile articles being disposed in abutting relation to the adjacent side wall of the carton.

4. A shipping and storing package as defined in claim 3, and a blocking roll supported by the top wall of the carton engaging the innermost cushioning strip for the upper edge of a fragile article for holding all of said cushioning strips in abutting reiation and the outermost top cushioning strip in abutting relation with a side wall of the carton.

5. A packaging and cushioning strip for fragile articles and for use in shipping cartons comprising a longitudinally extending base member, an inner ply carried by said base member and provided with a plurality of spaced out- Wardly extending slotted peaks with the slots arranged in longitudinal alignment for receiving the edge of an article to be protected, and an outer ply carried by the base memher and including a plurality of outwardly extending transversely disposed slotted peaks with the slots arranged in longitudinal alignment and defining seats, and a spacing rib member of a desired width removably fitted Within the slots, said spacing rib extending beyond the peaks for engaging a Wall of a carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,855 Sisco May 26, 1908 2,741,362 Cortright Apr. 10, 1956 2,868,473 Groenhuis Jan. 13, 1959 

1. A SHIPPING AND STORING PACKAGE FOR A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT SIZES OF FRAGILE ARTICLES COMPRISING A CARTON INCLUDING TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, SAID WALLS AND END WALLS, A BOTTOM CUSHIONING AND SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR THE FRAGILE ARTICLES DISPOSED IN SAID CARTON AGAINST THE BOTTOM WALL THEREOF WITH ITS SIDE EDGES ENGAGING THE INNER FACES OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING A BASE PLY AND OUTER PLY HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SPACED PEAKS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL WIDTH OF THE MEMBER, EACH OF SAID PEAKS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED SLITS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A PLURALITY OF BENDIBLE TONGUES, A PLURALITY OF FRAGILE ARTICLES IN SAID CARTON DISPOSED WITH THEIR LOWER EDGES AGAINST THE SAID PEAKS IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE LOWER EDGES OF THE FRAGILE ARTICLES BREAKING DOWN ADJACENT TONGUES BETWEEN THE SLITS TO FORM CUSHIONING MEMBERS AND SEATS FOR THE LOWER EDGES OF THE FRAGILE ARTICLES, AND INDEPENDENT CUSHIONING STRIPS FOR THE UPPER EDGES OF THE ARTICLES INCLUDING SLOTTED PEAKS FOR RECEIVING THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID ARTICLES WITH THE STRIP FOR THE ARTICLE OF GREATEST HEIGHT ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TOP WALL OF THE CARTON, SAID OTHER CUSHIONING STRIPS FOR THE OTHER ARTICLES ALSO INCLUDING OUTER SLOTTED CUSHIONING PEAKS, AND SPACER STRIPS OF DIFFERENT HEIGHT SEATED IN THE SLOTS OF THE PEAKS OF THE LAST NAMED CUSHIONING STRIPS ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TOP WALL OF THE CARTON. 